Priware Ltd., a SolidWorks Gold Partner, offers CircuitWorks, which enables engineers to accelerate electronics product design by integrating ECAD files directly into their 3-D models and 2-D drawings. The software integrates with SolidWorks, allowing it to read and write the industry standard IDF 2.0, 3.0 or 4.0 format files produced by ECAD systems used for Printed Circuit Board (PCB) design, including those such as Altium Designer and Cadence Allegro.

Without such integration, engineers frequently would develop their product designs to fit around the electronics components, which didn't necessarily lead to the most efficient or stylized products. The combination of the two programs lets engineers ensure electronic components such as PCBs will fit and work correctly in their design directly from within the SolidWorks environment. In that way, for example, a mechanical engineer could employ CircuitWorks to bring a PCB design into the SolidWorks model of a global positioning device or cell phone to help ensure the PCB didn't infringe on any metal contacts or holes.

The acquisition further establishes SolidWorks as a key tool for developing highly complex mechatronics systems, which combine mechanical, electrical and software components, according to Fielder Hiss, SolidWorks' director of product management. BCC Research, a market research firm, estimates the electronics industry will reach $3 trillion by 2012.

“There's a shift to where the design is driven by the product, not by the electronics, so there needs to be more back-and-forth between electrical and mechanical engineers to converge on a better design,” Hiss says. “The two worlds have to be more integrated — it's something we've been hearing from customers on a regular basis and what drove us to make the acquisition so we could have CircuitWorks as part of our core offering and have full control over its direction.”

CircuitWorks is available immediately as a component of SolidWorks Office Premium. It will be provided to Premium customers at no additional charge.

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